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A great career that is not ending

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GEN David Petraeus has ended his military career after 37 years in uniform, but he is not leaving civil-service to this country.

Gen. David Petraeus is bidding farewell to the Army that has been his life and the troops that have been his family for 37 years.
America’s best-known general is taking off his uniform before starting a new chapter as the 20th director of the CIA next week, where he will keep waging war on al-Qaida and other terrorist groups, but in a far different manner.

The soldier-scholar-statesman is to be sworn in as the nation’s spy chief on Sept. 6, less than a week before the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

It’s a sharp and unexpected career turn for the man many thought would ultimately become the top officer in the land – chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – after six command assignments, including four in war zones. He is credited with turning around the Iraq war and helping pivot the still uncertain campaign in Afghanistan.

After taking a step-down from the Commander of CETCOM to assume command of ISAF, GEN Petraeus could have easily become the Chairman of the JCS. Heck there was even talk of making him a 5 star General for a while by some in Congress. Yet he has decided to take over as the Director of the CIA as a civilian. He has punched every ticket needed, and it would not surprise me to see his next job after this as President. It may not be in 2012, but I could see him being elected in 2016.